BEHIND THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
Historian Catherine Curzon tells us what the social season was really like
What was it really like for the young women searching for eligible husbands in the marriage market? Was it as glamorous and exciting as period dramas would like to have us believe?
It was hard work! The jewel in the London social season was Queen Charlotte’s Ball, where debutantes were presented to the queen. From that moment on, the girls were under intense pressure to secure a highly prized bachelor in their first season. If they didn’t, their chances at a good marriage next year plummeted.
How costly was it for upper-class families to keep up with the fashions of high society?
It was enormously expensive. But it was vital for families to make it clear that they were rich enough to keep up – a bride needed a dowry and the bigger, the better. To put the figures in perspective, Mr Darcy’s much-vaunted £10,000 per year would be worth millions today.
How influential were scandal sheets? Did they really have the power to seriously damage someone’s reputation?
Though scandal sheets came later, there was plenty of gossip in the Regency press and readers lapped it up. Though scandal could destroy a reputation, for those willing to embrace their notoriety it could lead to fame and sometimes even fortune.
Was it possible for women to remain unmarried and support themselves with independent careers during the Regency period?
It was possible, but not common. Bluestocking Elizabeth Carter became renowned as a classicist and translator, while Anne ‘Gentleman Jack’ Lister famously controlled a portfolio of business interests that included mining, agriculture and quarrying, as well as presiding over Shibden
Hall with her wife, Ann Walker.
In your opinion, what is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Regency social season and the other cultural practices around it?
While it’s commonly believed that love had no part in the marriage market, that wasn’t always the case. After all, Princess Charlotte of Wales refused to marry the husband chosen for her by her father, the Prince Regent. Instead she stood her ground and married for love to a prince who had plenty of pedigree, but precious little money.